M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)

Share this page:

MA in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)

The TESL Program is dedicated to developing professional English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers for a career in education. The faculty work closely with learners to deepen their understanding of the English language, second language acquisition and teaching methods. We orient teachers to learner-centered and culturally responsive pedagogy which require teachers to be empathetic to learners’ needs, understanding of how and why people learn and skilled at implementing research-based second language teaching methods.

We offer a range of graduate-level, second language teacher education programs:

TESL Master’s Degree (36 cr.)

TESL Graduate Certificate (12 cr.)

ESL Endorsement K – 12 with Master’s Degree (36 cr.)

ESL Endorsement K – 12 (21 cr.)

Note: The Endorsement programs are designed for teachers who are already certified to teach a subject area in a Kentucky public school and would like to add ESL Certification K - 12.

Note: Applications for 2019-20 academic year are due by February 1, 2019. All applications must be submitted through UK's Graduate School.

Goals: We have three primary goals for this program:

Develop effective, professionally trained ESL/EFL teachers;

Develop teachers who are reflective and inquiry-based practioners;

Develop teachers who have the skill to manage the complex linguistic, cultural and identity issues central to second language learning.

Guiding Principles

Teacher Education as Praxis: Teacher education at its best is a form of praxis in which theory and practice are applied to the dynamics of a specific classroom and its unique set of learners.

Learn by Doing:
Opportunities for Practica and a supervised Internship

Themes: The program is organized around the following themes:

* Inquiry: Course research projects ask students to inquire into the nature of language, learning and teaching.

* Reflective Practice: Reflective Practice refers to a set of professional dispositions and activities that promotes educators actively seeking to improve their own professional competence.

* Experiential Learning: The program creates opportunities for students to gain classroom teaching experiences and then use those experiences to dig deeper into core issues of language, learning and teaching.